The Instinct for Survival

Humans are born with an instinctive response to loud noise and startlement, called the "moro reflex". The moro reflex is named for Dr Ernst Moro, an Austrian pediatrician who first discovered this response. It's only apparent in children between approximately 34 weeks gestation (premature or in utero) to 5 months of age; presence beyond five months is only seen in people with severe neurological problems.

The moro reflex is a provoked response to loud noise or the sensation of falling, in which a small infant startles, stretches out their arms, brings them back in towards the chest, and usually begins to cry. It's thought to be the only innate fear response with which humans are born.

Keeping Surprise to a Minimum

During the first few months of life, most infants exhibit the moro reflex repeatedly. In most cases it's when mothers lift their babies off their own bodies to lay them down in their baby bedding sets. The sudden sensation of air and the loss of warmth triggers a "falling" sensation, and these babies demonstrate the moro reflex before their bodies touch their baby bedding sets, sometimes waking themselves from sleep to do so. For this reason, it's imperative that baby bedding sets be prepared to make laying the infant down as quick and easy as possible.

Modern cots have a mattress that can be raised or lowered depending on your child's age and size. Ensuring that baby bedding sets are at the optimum height to receive infants easily is important to keep waking and startling to a minimum. While baby bedding sets should not contain loose blankets or stuffed animals, trying to construct a "nest" inside the materials will help your baby adjust to life outside of the womb. Look over different types of baby bedding sets to find one which, possibly with the help of a sleep positioner, can re-create the snug feel of the womb without posing a health risk to your baby.

A Safe, Snug, and Startle-Free Baby

You can use a variety of sleep positioners, either above or below the mattress or other parts of baby bedding sets, to build an improvised nest around your infant. Make sure there is no chance they can pull a part of their baby bedding sets down into the bassinette or cot around themselves. It's also important to make sure the material of the baby bedding sets are kept far away from your baby's face and mouth, as they could pose a suffocation risk.

Look over different types of baby bedding sets to find the perfect one. You should evaluate baby bedding sets against one another based on which one strikes you as most aesthetically pleasing, which can be safely and securely installed in your child's cot, and which baby bedding sets are priced within your range. While baby bedding sets are not typically expensive, finding one that meets all of these criteria can be a challenge.